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A new school year starts this week in most of our counties. Students will be returning to classes. School districts have their buildings ready to go. Teachers are prepared and excited to meet new students and re-ignite the learning process.
That's what school needs to be about -- creating an atmosphere that encourages a love of learning, that opens students' minds to new possibilities, that helps them to understand their role in a much larger world. Students and parents have a role to play, as do teachers. All the other nonsense that tends to get in the way inevitably leads the focus away from learning. And as the 2023-24 year kicks off, a focus on better educating students -- on learning -- needs to be the priority.
Consider: when it comes to academics, many of the high schools in our Upper Ohio Valley currently are not keeping pace with other schools around the state. A look through the recently release State Assessment results -- the data used to track student achievement -- shows a few high schools, notably Bridgeport High School in Harrison County and Morgantown High School, pulling away from the pack. The assessment data tracks proficiency in math, science and reading for 11th graders. Here are the results:
– Wheeling Park High School: Math, 24.9% proficient; reading, 53.1% proficient; science, 32.9% proficient.
– John Marshall High: math, 20.6% proficient; reading, 52.5% proficient; science, 31.1% proficient.
– Brooke High: math, 11.6% proficient; reading, 45% proficient; science, 20% proficient.
– Weir High: math, 16.5% proficient; reading, 48% proficient; and science, 24.4% proficient.
– Bridgeport High: math, 49.4% proficient; reading, 73.2% proficient; science, 48.9% proficient.
– Morgantown High: math, 45.2% proficient; reading, 67.2% proficient; science, 48.1% proficient.
Those are big discrepancies, and frankly it's unacceptable that 11th graders in any school district are struggling at that level in these subjects. How did we get to the point that only one in four, or one in five, or one in nine, 11th grade students at schools in our local counties are proficient in math? And why do local school administrators in these districts refuse to ever discuss this?
School administrators need to address publicly their plans to turn these results around, particularly the trend that sees math scores declining steadily from third grade through high school. It's all well and good to celebrate strong results for grade school students, but when those same students, seven or eight years later, are struggling in math, who's to blame? How can we better serve our youngsters and prepare them for the future?
These are questions that need to be prioritized this school year. It's time to get back to educating students and expecting results. Anything less is a disservice to our communities.